Coalition of College Outdoor Mentors

In 2011, representatives from college campuses across the State came together with T3, the National Park Service & other interested parties to show their support for engaging Maine teens in the outdoors. The Maine College Coalition of Outdoor Mentors was born and a number of pilot projects were designated to pair colleges with their local high school Outing Clubs. The Coalition met again December 2012 and new pilot projects are underway. Want to get involved?

Our Mission:The Maine Coalition of College Outdoor Mentors aims to connect Maine high school and college students in the outdoors by partnering high school outing clubs with college & university outing clubs as well as their outdoor recreation/tourism/forestry management programs. By creating sustainable relationships between colleges and their local high schools, we seek to bring communities together, use college-aged mentors to inspire teen engagement in the outdoors, promote Maine colleges and universities, and further support the growth and sustainability of high school outing club programs across the State.

Teens To Trails has observed that college students who are passionate about the outdoors make inspirational mentors for teens. Partnering with the National Park Service, T3 has developed this new initiative. In December 2011, representatives from college campuses across Maine came together at the Bowdoin Outing Club to consider the development of sustainable partnerships between colleges and the high schools in their local area. Participants represented a variety of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism programs as well as College Outing Clubs.

High school /college partnerships have varied from program to program. College students may lead high school students on a trip, or may just participate in the high school trip.An adventure recreation and tourism student may create a day-long outdoor experience for high school students as part of a class or college outing club may lend out their snowshoes for a weekend or their climbing wall for an afternoon. The program possibilities are endless, but the ultimate goal is the same: to provide inspirational mentors for high school teens by getting them outdoors together.

We have worked with the following colleges & universities as a part of this program:

UMaine Machias

UMaine Orono

Bowdoin College

Washington County Community College

Colby College

St. Joseph’s College

UMaine Presque Isle

Interested in joining this Coalition and working with your local college or high school outing club? The steps are easy: